soccer attacking principles

In order for a team to play up to its full potential, any good coach must teach how to attack and show what a team can do to maximize its chances of scoring. Everyone loves to score goals. But your team won’t score too many goals if the soccer attacking tactics aren’t refined. The main objective of an attacking strategy is to produce space and time in which to create scoring opportunities by using individual ability, quick, confident combination play and a constant movement of players. Hence coaches should attempt to create training conditions that induce players to develop their individual soccer skill while manipulating time and space.

Here are 5 Principles of Attacking in Soccer:

Penetration

look to go forward past opposing players by shooting, dribbling, running, passing always try to score (if you can’t score look to make a pass – if a pass isn’t possible look to advance the ball by dribbling or running)

Depth/Support

support teammates by providing communication, creating passing options and opportunities for playing the ball forward, and creating numerical superiority (get open with good angle and distance of support, get goal-side etc.) help the ball carrier by moving to a position where you can either receive a pass or draw opponents away from an area the ball carrier is running into provide all around support and options for the ball carrier for both forward
spread out in all directions and stretch out opposition (unbalance defense) and safe backward passes look to combine (wall pass, overlap runs, take overs etc.)
use supporting players to change point of attack

Mobility

create working space for first attacker by changing position and drawing defenders out of their positions (create gaps and unbalance defense) runs off the ball to create good passing angle and distance for advancement/possession or scoring opportunity for first attacker runs off the ball to create numerical advantage and provide opportunities for scoring, advancement or possession

Width

use the full width of the field (players with or without the ball) and force opposition to open gaps by drawing defenders out of the middle and thus creating spaces for players to move into and advance

Improvisation/Creativity/Surprise

create opportunities for advancement, possession and scoring by making use of dynamic team actions (combinations etc.) and individual skills such as feints and fakes make the attack unpredictable to break down defenses through creativity and surprise in the right place of the field (creative movement on and off the ball)